Feeding device for flat-work ironers



n. n. CANFIELD.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 21. m9.

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Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

D. D. CANFIELD, FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.27. 1919.

1,406,823. Patented Feb. 14, 1922. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR ATTORNEYfi.

D. D. CANFIELD FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27,1919. 1,406, 23.

W. R Y 93 m m ,m N +m 4% E 1 :V T IN T %n 1 A .FH Ms W m a D P UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE/YT DANY D. CANFIELD, 0F NASHVILLE TENNESSEE. v

FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT-WORK IRONERS.

Application filed September 27, 1919. Serial No. 326,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ,DANY D. CANrmLo, citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Devices for Flat-VVork Ironers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feeding devices for flat work ironing machines.

The object of the invention is to facilitate shifting of the loaded and unloaded conveying tables or bars to and from the feeding position in a manner to do away with the necessity of lifting and carrying them back and forth, as in prior devices for this pur- JOSE. I 1 Further objects of the invention are in partobvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

The invention comprises the constructon and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. V

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of feeding device embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, as viewed from the drection of the ironing machine to which the work is to be fed; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the track. Fig. 4 is a side elevation; Fig. 5 is in part an elevation and in part a sectional elevation on the line 55, Fig. 4, of one end of the device; Fig. 6 is asimilar view showing the table supported in unloaded position; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view on the line 7-7, Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a sectional eleva tion on the line 8-8,. Fig. 5; and Fig. 9 is an elevation, illustrating an adjustment of the support.

Briefly described the apparatus of the present invention embodies a suitabe frame carrying an endless track, a hanger riding and guided in said track, and a conveyor table or bar supported by the hangen Usually a plurality of conveyor tables are thus mounted upon the track,.the arrangement being such that the several conveyor tables can be shifted back and forth between the loading and unloading stations without interfering with each other.

In the specific embodiment shown in the drawings, 1 indicates several supporting posts, four of which are shown, which rest upon the floor or other suitable support at the entrance to the flat work ironer, the first roll or work receiving member of which is indicated at 2, Fig. 4. The fiat work ironer may be of any suitable form or construction and no further description thereof is necessary. A

Posts 1 are preferably connected to provide a rigid frame structure with definite spacing of the parts. For this purpose each post has slidably mounted thereon a sleeve joint member 3, the several sleeve membersbeing connected by longitudinal bars 4 and transverse bars 5. This forms a rectangular upper frame which can be reused or lowered to meet special conditions and may be se-.

cured in any adjusted position by introducing bolts or pins 6 through openings 6 n the members 3 and into the proper ones of a series of. vertically spaced openings 7 in the posts 1. This adjustment is made to secure the proper horizontal relation between the loaded conveyor table and the ironing ma chine to which the work is fed, or to suit the convenience of the operator-of the device.

Each of the longitudinal rods 4 serves as a support for an endless track 8, being held thereto by clamps 9 embracing the bars'4' and connected to the tracks by bolts 10. This track is of endless form, as shown in Fig. 3,

and includes inner and outer members ll,-

at 1.5, Fig. 4. The form of these bars or tables is immaterial, the invention having to do solely with the means and manner of supporting the same and permitting movement thereof to the different required. positions in handling the work. in the form of along bar supported or carried at both ends by rollers which travel along the tracks 11. The supports for both ends of the bar are identical, each traveling in its own set of tracks; In other words, the construction is duplicated at both ends of the device so that description of one end of the device wll suiiice for both.

As illustrated, each table 15, at its end is Each conveyor table is Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 14, 1922, i

provided with a sleeve 16 having any car 17 pivotally connected to a clevis' 18 on the lower end of a rod 19 provided with a col lar 20 rigidly secured thereto in any suit-- able manner, such as by the cross pin 21. Said rod extends through a cap 22 threaded upon the lower end of a pipe 28 having a.

clevis24l securecbto a link 25 supported by the ardent a pairof rollers 26 traveling along the flanges 14- of the track. Bar 19 within the pipe 28 is provided with a larger stop portion 27, which restsupo'n the cap 22 gitudinal cavity or recess in which is a com pression spring 30 tending to forceontwardly a ball 31, which projects from the opening in the end of the sleeve 16. The purpose of this ball is to interlock with a groove or channel 32 lying substantially vertical but preferably at a slight incline, as shown in Fig. 8, said groove being in the wall of asleeve-like support 33 suitably clamped, such as by the set screw 3%, in any adjusted position on the forward posts 1 of the frame. Said supports are provided with cavities 35 having stop shoulders 36, inclined floors 87, beveled at their front edges 38, and a side wall 39 having a beveled por tionA-O and in which is the vertical channel 82 before referred to.

The operation is as follows:

Fig. l represents three conveyor tables supported by the frame, one in each of the several positions assumed by said tables. A. indicates the unloading position; B indicates the unloaded position; and C indicates the loading position. At the unloading position the conveyor table is supported by its rod and pipe connections to the track rollers, said connections lying inclined, as shown. The stop members 27 rest directly upon the caps 22. Sleeves 16 have been swung forwardly into position in the cavities of the supports 33 and the balls 31 have yielding engagement with the channels 32 and hold the conveyor table in the position shown. Two operators deliver the work from th conveyor table in position A to the ironing machine, one of said operators being lo cated at each end of the table. 'lVlien the table is unloaded the two operators grasp the ends of the table and elevate it, at the -he loading station 0.

unloading the conveyor table at position A,

two other operators, called loaders, have been loading the'conveyor table hanging at H Theseoperators, after loading the table, push it forwardly or to the right in Fig. 4, by moving the rollers along the outer portions of the tracks, as shown in dottedlines, Fig. 2. In this position, with the rollers in the outer portions of the tracks the links or rods from which the loaded'table is suspended lie outside and will pass around'thelinks or rods of the unloaded conveying table "beingmoved back wardly along the inner portions of the tracks. Then the loaded table has been advanced the feeders pull it forward and lock it in the loading position A and again begin to feed the" ironing machine, as before stated. The loaders pull back the unloaded table at position B, unhook the latches 29 and drop the table itself to the lower loading level at stationC and proceed to load the table. During operation of the device,

looking down upon it from above, the rollers travel in a counterclockwise directlon along the nearer rack, Fig. 1, and in a clockwise direction along the distant track.

lVith this arrangement two operators are always feeding the ironing machine and two operators are loading another table, so that the ironing machine is constantly kept in operation. I

What I claim is i L- Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising a guide having portions ex ending toward and awayfrom a Working positioii, and a plurality of horizontal work supporting bars, each movable along both of said guiding portions, said bars being also adjustable vertically toward and from saidguide to pass over and under each other while moving along the same.

2. Feeding mechanism for ironing Inachines, comprising a guide having two sub;

stantially horizontal portions extending to ward and away from a working position, a plurality of horizontal work supporting bars extending transversely to said guiding portions and each movable along both there of, said guiding portions beinghorizontally spaced from each other and said bars being vertically adjustable relative thereto, wherebytwo work supports moving in opposite directions will "pass over and under each other without interference.

3. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two guides each of which has two guiding portions extending toward and away from a working position, a horizontally extending work support having two carryingmembers one traveling along each' of said guides, said members being arranged to travel along the inner guiding portions when moving in one direction and along the zontally extending work support having two.

carrying members one traveling along each of said guides, said members being-arranged to travel along the inner guiding portions when moving in one direction and along the outer guiding portions when moving in the other direction, and means for adjusting said work supports relative to said carrying members.

5. Feeding mechanism for ironing ma chines, comprising two guides each of which has two guiding portions extending toward and away from a working position, a work support having two carrying members one traveling along each of said guides, said members being arranged to travel. along the inner guiding portions when moving in one direction and along the outer guiding portion when moving in the other direction, and means for locking said work supports stationary in said working position.

6. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two guides each of which has two guiding portions extending toward and away from a working position, a horizontally extending work support having two carrying members one traveling along each of said guides, said members being arranged to travel along the inner guiding portions when moving in one direction and in the outer guiding portions when moving in the other direction, means for adjusting said work support relative to said carrying members, and means for locking said work support stationary in said working position.

7. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two guides each of which has two guiding portions extending toward and away from a working position, a plurality of horizontally extending worksupports each having two carrying members one travcling along each of said guides, said membersbeing arranged to travel along the inner guiding portions when moving in one direction and along the outer guiding portions when moving in the other direction,

said work supports being adjustable vertically to either of two positions and means for holding the same in either of said positions while moving along said guides.

8. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two endless guides, and a plurality of work supports each having supporting members traveling along both of said guides.

'9. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two endless guides lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, and a plurality of horizontally extending work supports having supporting members traveling along both of said guides.

10. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two endless guides, and a plurality oi"? work supports each having supporting members traveling along both of said guides, the movement of the supporting members along one guide being in a clockwise direction and along the other guid in a counter clockwise direction.

11. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two endless guides lying insubstantially the same horizontal plane, and a plurality of work supports having supporting members traveling along both of said guides, the movement of the supporting members along one guide being in a clockwise direction and along the other guide in a counter clockwise direction.

12. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two endless guides, and a plurality or" work supports each having supporting members traveling along both of said guides, said work supports being adjustable toward and from said supporting members to pass each other while traveling along said guides.

13. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two endless guides lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, and a plurality of work supports having supporting members traveling along both of said guides, said work supports being adjustable toward and from said supporting members to pass over and under each other while traveling along said guides.

14.. Feeding mechanism for ironing machines, comprising two endless guides, and

a plurality of work supports each having supporting members traveling along both of said guides, the movement of the supporting members along one guide being in a clockwise direction andalong the other guide in a counter clockwise direction, said work supports being adjustable toward and from said supporting members to pass each other while traveling along said guides.

15. Feeding mechanism for ironing 'machines, comprising two endless guides lying in substantially thesame plane, and a plurality of work supports having supporting members traveling along both of said guides, the movement of the supporting members along one guide being in a clockwise direction and along the other guide in acounter clockwise direction, said work supports being adjustable toward and from said supporting members to pass each other while traveling along said guides.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. l

DANY D. CANFIELD.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,406,823, granted February 14, 1922, upon the application of Dany D. Canfield, of Nashville, Tennessee, for an improvement in Feeding Devices for Flat- Worli Ironers, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 71, after the reference numeral W, for the letter n read in; page 2, line 122, claim 2, strike out the Words Work support and insert the Word bars; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of April, A. D., 1922.

[SEAL] i KARL F EN NING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

